Winning State of mind: Rabbit girls enter the state tournament for the first time in Wabasso history

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

WABASSO -- Even though the Wabasso Rabbits are making their first-ever trip to the state tournament, they believe that this could be their year to shine.

The Rabbits enter the tournament with a 54-42 win over Hills-Beaver Creek and a record of 26-4. And even though they were tested almost on a nightly basis, the Rabbits also won the Tomahawk Conference with a perfect record of 18-0.

Head coach Neil Dolan, who has made the trip back and forth between Wabasso and Minneapolis daily for the last week because his wife is expecting triplets, would like to stay up there for three more days and bring home a state championship along with three new members to the family.

He thinks the tough conference schedule prepared the Rabbits for the postseason.

"I think its favorable for anyone who plays in the Tomahawk Conference going into the playoffs," Dolan said. "You look at schools like MVL [Minnesota Valley Lutheran] and Springfield and see the kind of success they had."

The Rabbits square off in the first round with Barnesville, the Section 6 champions who enter the tournament with a record of 23-5.

The Trojans average 48.3 points per game and hold their opponents to 38.1 per contest. They are led by Kim Lewis, a senior who averages 18.2 points per game [ppg] and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Lewis, who will attend Northern State University next year, scored her 1,000th point of her career earlier this season and Dolan likens her play to a former MVL standout.

"They have a strong, strong player in Kim Lewis," Dolan said. "She's a little bit like [Jessica] Merseth, but she's definitely better from the outside."

The Trojans also are led by a freshman Erica Nord, who averages 14.1 ppg.

"She's a real good penetrator," Dolan said. "You put those two together, and they average 44 points. If you can stop the two stars, you're going to have success. Our job is to stop Lewis."

One player who is expected to play a factor in stopping Lewis is Katie Schumacher, a junior who averages just over 10 ppg and 9.5 rebounds.

However, if the Rabbits expect to fare well at the tournament, they will have to rely on Jessica VanLoy to do most of the scoring for them. VanLoy crossed the 1,000 point mark early this year.

"We're going to have to count on Jessica to get us 18-20 points," Dolan said. "If she can get us those points, we can win."

Sophomore Andrea Fennern and senior Ashley Prokosch also went over the 1,000 point mark this season and will also help with the scoring load. Fennern averaged 13.8 points and Prokosch is the school's all-time leading rebounder, averaging 11 per game this year.

The Rabbits also have a strength in their defensive trap, something that frustrated Hills-Beaver Creek in the Section 3A championship.

"I think we've started to peak here in the postseason," Dolan said. "We're a pressure defense team and we create a lot of tempos with our trap. It creates anxiety for the other team."

The Rabbits begin their quest for a state title when they meet Barnesville at 3 p.m. at Williams Arena today.